Leeds GATE news

We are delighted to announce we are recruiting to our highly successful advocacy team.

Leeds GATE are an award winning community members organisation for Gypsies and Travellers based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Our overall aim is to improve quality of life for Gypsies and Travellers through addressing inequalities in homes, health, education, employment and financial and social inclusion. We run a number of community facing and strategic projects to achieve our aims including advocacy, community development and youth work.

A long anticipated statement today from Housing Minister Dominic Raab MP announced a review of 'Powers to deal with unauthorised encampments'. Whilst we welcome any opportunity to discuss management of Unauthorised encampment by Gypsy and Traveller people, Leeds GATE are dismayed and disheartened by the tone of the announcement which suggests a foregone conclusion.

The only collection of data on the number of unauthorised encampments across England is the MHCLG (formerly DCLG) bi-annual caravan count. You can read our analysis of this data in a new briefing paper (PDF Link below). We conclude that the caravan count data is not sufficient or reliable enough to draw accurate conclusions about the number of unauthorised encampments on land not owned by Gypsies and Travellers. We also conclude that the data does not assist in attempting to measure the impact of amendments in to Government policies such as the October 2015 revision to the Planning definition of 'travellers'. Leeds GATE calls on the Government to take responsibility for ensuring that the impact of national planning policies can be accurately tracked and responded to by local authorities and civil society. We also suggest that more comprehensive data on unauthorised encampment in local authority areas would allow for better monitoring and assessment of management practices such as Negotiated Stopping.

We know that our Negotiated Stopping methodolgy for managing unauthorised encampment is effective, saves public money and increases community cohesion. Can you help us to convince others? Leeds GATE is seeking to commission a provider to work with us in producing a package of high quality information communication material in support of achieving the aims of our 'Negotiated Stopping’ project